Official suspended for draining reservoir after selfie incident.

Government Official Suspended for Draining Water Reservoir to Retrieve Smartphone

“Hold on, let me just drain this entire reservoir real quick so I can get my phone back.”

Yes, you read that right. A government official in India was suspended from his job after he ordered a water reservoir to be emptied so he could retrieve his smartphone, which he had dropped while taking a selfie.

The Selfie Mishap

Food inspector Rajesh Vishwas dropped his Samsung smartphone in Kherkatta dam in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh last week, The Times of India newspaper reported. Vishwas first asked local divers to jump into the reservoir to find the device, claiming it contained sensitive government data. But after the initial efforts to retrieve his smartphone failed, he asked for the reservoir to be emptied using diesel pumps.

The Aftermath

Over the next three days, more than 500,000 gallons of water were pumped out from the reservoir, which is enough to irrigate at least 1,500 acres of land during India’s scorching summer, local media reported. In videos that went viral on social media, Vishwas is seen sitting under a red umbrella as diesel pumps run to drain water from the reservoir.

The smartphone was eventually retrieved but wouldn’t even start because it was waterlogged. Authorities later suspended Vishwas after he was widely criticized for wasting water resources.

India’s Water Crisis

India is one of the most water-stressed countries, and extreme temperatures have led to severe water scarcity, causing crop losses, forest fires, and cuts to power. It’s important to remember that every drop of water counts, and wasting it for personal gain is unacceptable.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.